Vetting Tenants — How we protect the landlord’s interests.

In Stratford, Nesbitt Realty wants to deal with good tenants. Here are some of the traits we look for.

1. A tenant pays the rent when due every time. This means paying on or before the first, rather than at 5 pm on the 5th.
2. A renter is trustworthy. A renter does not sneak in a co-tenant or pet.
3. A renter is fussy about cleanliness. A renter does not bring pests such as rodents and bugs.
4. A tenant does not overwork the home.
5. A tenant is courteous and easy to work with. A renter knows the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
6. A tenant doesn't annoy neighbors.
7. A renter complains when appropriate. tenants that don't report maintenance issues cost property owners money and cause head-aches for property managers.
8. A renter doesn't complain when it's not appropriate. This means that a tenant doesn't ask to replace functioning systems. A tenant doesn't expect more than the lease provides. A renter doesn't complain that an appliance doesn't work when the renter doesn't know how to operate the appliance.
9. A tenant does not smoke in the home.
10. A renter is looking for a rental term that is as long as the landlord wants to rent the property.

So this is what we're looking for in a tenant, but how do we find tenants who measure up to this ideal? Experience has taught us that unreasonable renters can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a nose for sniffing out bad renters.